Slow eating aids weight loss

New Delhi, Feb 14 : Slow eating is linked to weight loss, a new study has suggested. According to the study, slowing down the speed at which you eat, along with cutting out after dinner snacks and not eating within two hours of going to sleep may all help to shed the pounds. Changes in these eating habits were strongly associated with lower obesity and weight - Body Mass Index (BMI), and smaller waist circumference, the researchers found. They base their findings on health insurance data for nearly 60,000 people with diabetes in Japan, who submitted claims and had regular health check-ups between 2008 and 2013. During the check-ups, participants were quizzed about their lifestyle, including their eating and sleeping habits, as well as alcohol and tobacco use. They were specifically asked about their eating speed, which was categorised as fast, normal and slow. And they were asked whether they did any of the following three or more times a week: eat dinner within two hours of going to sleep; snack after dinner; and skip breakfast. At the start of the study, some 22,070 people routinely wolfed down their food; 33,455 ate at a normal speed; 4192 lingered over every mouthful. The slow eaters tended to be healthier and to have a healthier lifestyle than either the fast or normal speed eaters.(ANI)